HARRISBURG, PA — A Lehigh County man has been charged in a statewide fraud scheme after allegedly using stolen credit cards and fake IDs to purchase nearly $100,000 in merchandise from at least 23 Lowe’s stores across Pennsylvania, officials announced Monday.
Alex Jose Rulan, 33, of Allentown, faces charges including corrupt organizations, organized retail theft, criminal conspiracy, and identity theft, according to Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday. Rulan is currently being held at Montgomery County Jail on unrelated charges.
Key Points
- Alex Jose Rulan allegedly bought $96K in goods from 23 Lowe’s stores using stolen credit cards.
- He is charged with corrupt organizations, identity theft, and other felonies.
- The purchases occurred across more than a dozen Pennsylvania counties between June and December 2023.
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. alerted authorities earlier this year after identifying suspicious transactions involving high-dollar goods such as flooring, air conditioning units, and vacuums. Investigators say Rulan used fraudulent identification to pose as legitimate cardholders.
“This defendant systematically targeted consumers and stores across the Commonwealth to steal high-dollar goods,” Sunday said, crediting his Organized Retail Crime Unit with halting the operation.
The investigation found that Rulan made approximately $96,000 in fraudulent purchases between June and December 2023, spanning more than a dozen counties.
Rulan’s charges were filed following a multi-agency probe led by the Organized Retail Crime Unit.
An accused fraudster’s $100K Lowe’s spree has landed him in jail and under felony indictment.